Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Lead

Job Description

The IRC is seeking a MEL Director/Lead to drive the FCDO funded ‘GOAL -SD’ in Pakistan. This is a 4-year, £25 million anticipated programme, with an expected release date by March 2024, and mobilisation in the last quarter of 2024. Basic features of the program are as follows:

Objectives

o 250,000 girls and marginalized children enrolled

o 150,000 girls reading by age 10

Geographical focus

o South Punjab and NMDs

Thematic

o Accelerated learning programs

o Early grade remedial learning programs for girls in school

o Ensuring safety and inclusion at school

MEL Lead Profile

This is a senior position which requires outstanding leadership, strategic thinking, and organizational, team-building and representational skills. The MEL Lead will be responsible for developing and implementing the project’s MEL strategy, in accordance with IRC, DFID, and international best practice. The MEL Lead will work closely with the Team Leader and technical staff to ensure that relevant data is collected, analyzed, and used to inform management and design decisions, and to provide project updates, as required.

Job Responsibilities

• Develop and manage a monitoring and evaluation system across all project components that leverages qualitative and quantitative methods, and draws from a variety of data sources to measure progress and evaluate impact, as well as support collaboration, learning, and adaptation;

• Communicate information obtained through M&E activities to program staff, and external stakeholders, including FCDO, to enable informed decision making;

• Ensure data collection process is functioning in all activity locations to provide quality, timely data;

• Regularly review data collection processes, perform data quality assessments, and make adjustments as needed;

• Conduct regular visits to project sites, as possible, to provide technical assistance and ensure proper monitoring of project activities;

• Produce M&E monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual reports, as needed and on-time.

• Also contribute to IRC staff and partners’ capacity building on MEL best practices.

Requirements

• Advanced degree (master’s or doctorate) from an accredited university in social science, international development, evaluation research, statistics, or a related discipline required; equivalent experience may be substituted for graduate degree;

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in MEL for similar Education programming. Experience with projects designed to improve education in Pakistan preferred;

• Significant previous experience carrying out M&E activities in hard-to-reach provinces and districts, preferably for FCDO;

• Experience working in Pakistan on Education programming

• Strong negotiation skills and the ability to develop relations with local counterparts, donors, and other stakeholders;

• Strong communication skills, both oral and written;

• Fluency in English required

The MEL Lead role is envisaged to be full-time and will be based in Islamabad, Pakistan with travel to the focal provinces: KP and Punjab.

Please note that the JD is high level and indicative only at this stage and may be subject to change once the Terms of Reference for the programme is released and as the opportunity develops. This position will be contingent on the outcome of the bid.

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Qualifications